[Thorn]

http://tale-of-tales.com/ThePath/

Has anyone played it? I'd like to; it's pretty cheap (but not for me since my currency is useless these days and I'm poor T_T) but if it's good I might save up... I wish there was a hardcopy, I'm such a materialist XD

[Fantasysci5]

I saw the write-up for this, and it did look pretty cool. Although not sure what type of puzzles this would be. Anyone know if it's good?

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Thorn

http://tale-of-tales.com/ThePath/

Has anyone played it? I'd like to; it's pretty cheap (but not for me since my currency is useless these days and I'm poor T_T) but if it's good I might save up... I wish there was a hardcopy, I'm such a materialist XD

I'm playing the Path. It's a game of exploration, no puzzles, not a real adventure game. An experience, if you like. Everything is open to interpretation. Six little red riding hoods, six personalities, each girl meets her own special wolf and her death. Definitely not everybody's cup of tea, too artsy. Very atmospheric, surreal, creepy. I don't know yet how I feel about, I'm having technical problems (the girls stop running after a while, which makes the game very sloooow) I need to solve.

[therabidfrog]

You can play the companies other game The Graveyard to get an idea of what they're going for. The stuff they do aren't really traditional video games. They want to elevate video games to art. Not exactly an easy thing to do, and were as the other "games" of there's I have played are interesting. Nicely done, slightly pretentious, and no value beyond the initial playthrough. I assume this is the same.

[Fien]

The Graveyard is nothing like The Path.

[therabidfrog]

I"m saying it's a similar kind of experience. Sort of an interactive story more than a traditional game.

[Fien]

How would you know if it's a similar kind of experience if you haven't even played the The Path.

[therabidfrog]

Probably because I've read their blog. their summation of the game, and I am capable of drawing conclusions based on the conceptual path and logic of a developer? Right? That couldn't be it! It's like a director with a certain style and approach to film making. I couldn't possibly be able to devise based on a certain pattern what there next project (despite by there own words would continue to fallow a conceptual pattern) would be like? It's like how no one could possibly predict a shift in markets based on previous patterns and a knowledge of economics, right? No of course not. History is meaningless.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by therabidfrog

Probably because I've read their blog. their summation of the game, and I am capable of drawing conclusions based on the conceptual path and logic of a developer?

Thorn is capable of doing the exact same thing. In fact, Thorn posted the link to their site. The question was: Has anyone played it? You have not and yet you "know" what the experience of playing it is like.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

Thorn is capable of doing the exact same thing. In fact, Thorn posted the link to their site. The question was: Has anyone played it? You have not and yet you "know" what the experience of playing it is like.

Frog (sorry man, I keep shortening you) is only trying to help, by referring us what he knows about the game. He never stated that he played it and he limited himself to a very concise opinion on the game's premise. So, I think his contribution is valuable.

Originally Posted by therabidfrog

They want to elevate video games to art.

They surely want that. Unfortunately, they fail miserably to achieve this goal. The Path is a pompous, snobbish, pretentious and boring attempt to make a meaningful interactive story about life, death, sin, redemption and every other theme you may want to read in this incoherent mish-mash: they forgot to put in their interactive story a story, a gameplay, characters and everything. They have mistaken the formal and stylistic complexity of authors like Joyce, Proust, Gray for incoherence and, forgetting the story, they hampered their own attempt. The fascinating premise, which would have been absolutely brilliant and profound in the hand of a real writer, is just a laughable excuse on their part.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

[...] I'm having technical problems (the girls stop running after a while, which makes the game very sloooow) I need to solve.

I believe that this isn't a technical problem. Have you already "played" Carmen? If not, skip the spoiler.

Spoiler:

Carmen gets drunk in the wood. After the hangover, she can't run anymore.

With the other girls, I had similar experiences. When they met their wolf, they can't run. At least, it's how it works on my PC.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

Unfortunately, they fail miserably to achieve this goal. The Path is a pompous, snobbish, pretentious and boring attempt...

Wow, you really hate the game.

I think it's got something, although I agree it's pretentious. The things those girls say! But I'm not playing it anymore, it's buggy as hell on my computer and I've read on other sites I'm not the only one who has problems with it.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

I believe that this isn't a technical problem.

No, believe me, I'm having real problems. Had to start over at least 5 times because the girl gets stuck somewhere and refuses to budge. And she just stops running after a while, wolf or no wolf, object or no object. Maybe she's just as tired of the bugs as I am.

[therabidfrog]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

Frog (sorry man, I keep shortening you) is only trying to help, by referring us what he knows about the game. He never stated that he played it and he limited himself to a very concise opinion on the game's premise. So, I think his contribution is valuable.

Lol That's ok, but thank you. The problem with attempting to tout video games as art (especially it what it seems is this circumstance) is that by there very nature video games are an active experience, and one that is meant to be entertaining first and foremost.

Regardless of how much style a game has (i.e. art design, great story, blah blah blah) or what it achieves other wise if a video game is not entertaining to play then it fails despite it's passive elements. I agree with Hideo Kojima that video games are not art. I'm not saying that they couldn't be art because I guess that would be limiting art itself, but if there ever was an example of games as art I've never seen it.

I guess it boils down to if I wanted to read a book I would read a book, and if I wanted to watch a movie I would go to the movies. I want to play a video game. Not have it bash my head in with conceptualism and pretense.

Still after a few patches to fix these bugs I still want to check it out. I have a nigh tolerance for none sense.

[kuze]

I'm playing it as well. The fact that the girls can't run after meeting their wolf is not a bug but a feature, I suppose. The girls seem down, it is raining, the devs probably though it'd suit the mood if you couldn't run during the last few steps. Also, I imagine it's supposed to make you go towards the house, so you don't run in a different direction.

Spoiler:

I can't find the wolf with the last girl. Does anyone have a hint for me? I found the campside, drank the beer, lit the fire and am now stuck.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by kuze

I'm playing it as well. The fact that the girls can't run after meeting their wolf is not a bug but a feature, I suppose.

Agreed.

The girls seem down, it is raining, the devs probably though it'd suit the mood if you couldn't run during the last few steps. Also, I imagine it's supposed to make you go towards the house, so you don't run in a different direction.

Maybe the devs want us gamers to sloooooow down "all game long" so we can really understand and appreciate the experience they offer us. I'm in two minds about that. I can remember only one other game that did exactly the same thing: in Isabelle you can switch between two protagonists and one of them is blind. As soon as you switch to him, the graphics get very dark and blurry, you can't see your surroundings very well anymore. And of course the blind guy walks slowly and bumps into stuff.

Spoiler:

I can't find the wolf with the last girl. Does anyone have a hint for me? I found the campside, drank the beer, lit the fire and am now stuck.

Spoiler:

Carmen? Sit near the fire and wait... wait.... and wait some more..... zzzzz. If that doesn't work, get up, walk around, sit down again and do another round of waiting. Seriously. I'm not pulling your leg. Appreciate the waiting.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

Spoiler:

Carmen? Sit near the fire and wait... wait.... and wait some more..... zzzzz. If that doesn't work, get up, walk around, sit down again and do another round of waiting. Seriously. I'm not pulling your leg. Appreciate the waiting.

Strange. I found Carmen's wolf quite easily... Kuze, are you talking about Carmen?

[Fien]

I don't see any reason why video games cannot be art and/or an art form, which is not the same thing. Every art form has its own tools and materials. Painters use paint to express their creativity. Dancers use their body, game designers use interactivity, among other things. Nothing wrong with that. But not every blob of color on canvas is art, not by a long shot, and the same goes for games.

Art forms can be both art and entertaining. Why should games by definition have to be entertaining? I prefer captivating, immersive, fascinating, interesting, touching, etcetera. I can think of one or two games that come close to being art.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

Strange. I found Carmen's wolf quite easily... Kuze, are you talking about Carmen?

Didn't you find Carmen's wolf the way I described? If not, please tell me how you found him.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

Didn't you find Carmen's wolf the way I described? If not, please tell me how you found him.

Spoiler:

I hadn't to wait. I arrived at the campsite. I stopped the man from hatching the tree. I sat down with him and he offered me a beer. Then I was immediately transported to the House